As A Building Material

AAERT_SID INTERIOR MATERIAL & TECHNOLOGY-1 SEM.- 01

‰ Background
Plastics are said to be the most versatile materials on earth.
Almost all of the products we use in our daily lives contain
plastics. This display chronicles some of the key discoveries,
inventions, and people that have helped make the plastics
industry what it is today.
€ The use of plastics materials in buildings, both for
construction and decoration, continues to increase,
particularly as architects, designers and builders appreciate
their advantages in construction terms and in the provision of
so called ‘maintenance free’ structures. Today, plastics
materials are so widely used in the building industry that it
would be difficult to envisage the construction of any building
without them. Many products are available which meet the
various building and fire regulations. Some of the areas in
which these materials are used are listed in table 1.
‰ Table 1. Application of plastics and rubbers in building

Adhesives Anti-vibration Decorative laminates

Sealants mountings Geotextiles for
g materials
Roofing Window frames earthworks
Glazing Laminates for
Waterproof
formwork
membranes Pipes and gutters
Floor coverings Drainage systems Laminates for
decoration
Sound insulation Fascia boards
Flexible foams for
Thermal insulation Cladding panels upholstery
Fibres for carpets
and fabrics
Paints and varnishes
‰ Chart 1. Commercial Use of plastics
‰ Classification of Plastics:
There are two main groups of Plastics:

1. THERMOPLASTICS 2. THERMOSETTING PLASTICS

€ High Density Polythene € Epoxy Resin

€ Low Density Polythene € Polyester Resin
€ Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) € Glass Reinforced Plastic
€ Polystyrene € Carbon Fibre Plastic
€ Polypropylene € Melamine Formaldehyde
€ Acrylo-nitrile (Nylon)
€ ABS
€ Poly Vinyl Acetate (PVA)
€ Acrylic (Perspex)
€ Elastomers
‰ High Density Polythene:
HDPE is used for Buckets, Basins,
Bottles, Containers and is extensively
used in both Blow moldingg & Injection
j
molding process.

Properties:
Tough, Feels Waxy, Resistant to
Chemicals

‰ Low Density Polythene:

Most LDPE application is film based.
Industry uses also include wire &
cables’ coating, injection & Blow
molding is used for plastic bags,
bags
Bottles.

Properties:
Soft, Flexible, Good Electrical insulator.
‰ Polyvinyl Chloride:
PVC is used for Gutters,
Gutters Drain Pipes,
Pipes
Window/Door Frames & Shutters,
Plumbing Fixtures, Furniture
equipments,
i t etc…It
t It isi often
ft used
d in
i
the Extrusion Process (larger length
possible).
Properties:
Rigid, Water & Weather Resistant,
Light
g Weight,g , Ease of fabrication &
Installation.
‰ Polystyrene:
y y
It is used extensively in the
Packaging Industry. It is also widely
use in i I l t
Insulate B ildi
Buildings, i
in
Refrigerators, etc…
Properties:
Soft, Lightweight, Good Insulator,
Water resistance.
‰ Acrylic:
Acrylic is used for Bath’s Fixtures &
Sanitary wares, Lighting, Display
Stands.

Properties:
Stiff,
Stiff Hard,
Hard Brittle,
Brittle Scratches easily.
easily

‰ Epoxy Resin:
It is generally used as a waterproof
adhesive of as a liquid for casting.

Properties:
Strong (When Reinforced), Clear.
‰ Melamine Formaldehyde:
IIt is
i commonlyl known
k as Formica
F i isi a
composite material made from resin
and layers of paper, commonly used
for worktops.

p
Properties:
Clarity, Stability to Heat, Light,
Chemicals, Abrasion and Fire.

‰ Glass Reinforced Plastic:

It is a composite material made from
Resin and Glass Fiber Sheet. This
combination produces a lightweight
yyet extremelyy strong g material and
used everywhere from Speed boat
hulls to Aircrafts, Roofing sheets, etc..
Properties:
Very Strong, Lightweight, Easily
workable.
‰ Elastomers:
Elastomers are plastics
El l i with
i h elastic
l i
properties, most are capable of
considerable deformation and will
return to their original shape. Uses
range from waterproof seals to foam
p g
padding.

Properties:
Flexible Waterproof,
Flexible, Waterproof Heat resistant.
resistant
‰ Disadvantages of Plastic as Building material:
¾ Two general types PLASTIC
¾ Thermoplastics
p ((melt,, deform,, vaporize
p – burns veryy fast))
¾ Thermosets (decomposes, loose strength under heat but
will not melt, only burns with extreme temps)
¾ Fires
Fi involving
i l i plastics…
l ti
¾ Burn fast
¾ Very intense heat
¾ Dense black smoke
¾ Extremely toxic
¾ UV light will weaken certain plastics and produce a chalky
faded appearance on the exposed surface.
¾ One disadvantage of plastics materials is their tendency to
soften at elevated temperatures. This has restricted their use
as main structural elements and also in hot water systems.
¾ Cold can cause some plastics to become brittle and fracture
under pressure.
The Monsanto House of the Future was constructed at Disneyland in 1957. The
frame and structure of the house were 100% plastic. The house had four
cantilevered wings floating above beautifully landscaped grounds and waterfalls.
waterfalls
Like many concept designs, Monsanto’s House of the Future was never mass
produced. However, today the building and construction industry is one of the
largest and fastest growing markets for plastics.
plastics

USES
USES
USES
‰ Plastic as a Roofing Systems:
¾ Corrugated plastic sheeting has
been used for roofing in
conservatories and buildings where
transparent panels have been
required. However, in more recent
times
ti double
d bl andd triple
ti l walled
ll d
polycarbonate sheeting has become
increasingly used, since this
provides not only diffuse daylight for
illumination but also heat insulation
and hence reduced heating g costs.
‰ Twin or triple walled polycarbonate:
¾ Provides a number of advantages
during installation since it can be
cut with conventional tools, is rigid
to handle, does not require closely
spaced supports,
supports is light in weight
and can be easily fitted. In
addition, it can be cold formed or
thermoformed into a variety of
shapes to provide attractive and
f ti
functionall curvedd surfaces.
f Ed
Edges
and joints can be sealed to
prevent draughts.
draughts Another major
advantage is its resistance to
breakage.
‰ Cladding Panels:
¾ UPVC products are now frequently used
in place of the more traditional products
for external cladding panels,
panels fascia and
soft boards, particularly on new
buildings. Some of the advantages
offered
ff d by b UPVC are lighterli ht weight,
i ht
resistance to rot, lack of warp and lack of
need for regular maintenance painting.
¾ Products are available in a variety of
colours, including wood grain finishes.
These may be of solid UPVC, double
skin or foam filled double skin
construction.
¾ Fixing of UPVC products-
products due allowance
must be made for expansion and
contraction to prevent buckling of the
sheets due to the heating effect of
sunlight.
‰ Sound Insulation:
¾ Sound within buildings may be general
noise transmitted through walls and floors
or a specific
p noise from vibrating g
machinery. The latter can be dealt with by
using vibration mounts as mentioned
above Air
above. Air-borne
borne noise can also present
problems and must be taken into account
when designing sound insulation systems.

¾ With general noise, the traditional method

was to build veryy thick and heavyy walls
and floors. However, as buildings have
become lighter, other methods of sound
reduction have become necessary.
necessary As a
general principle, sound insulation can be
provided by either a simple and heavy or
a light and complex construction,
construction which is
now replaced by the rubber and plastics
materials.
‰ Thermal Insulation:
¾ As well as sound insulation, buildings
need thermal insulation also. This can be
met by y usingg light
g weight
g aerated
concrete building blocks during the
construction of the building or by
incorporating foamed plastic sheeting
within the structure. Typical foamed
plastics include rigid polyurethane foam
and expanded polystyrene,
polystyrene although
various other foamed plastics may also be
used.
¾ Plasterboard can be readily obtained with
a 25 mm foamed polystyrene backing.
Other compositep sheet building
g p
products
can be obtained with polyurethane foam
cores. They can be kept clean with very
little effort.
effort
‰ Plastic Decorative Laminates:
¾ The normal structure of a plastic
decorative laminate includes a
sheet of decorative paper
impregnated (saturated) with one
or more resins.
¾ Plastic decorative laminates have
a wide range of uses, they can be
used in the furniture industryy for
kitchen cabinet counters,
bookshelves and door linings,
among many other things.
things In the
building industry they can be used
for partitions screens in order to
divide space in offices,
offices houses,
houses
etc...
‰ Plastic Adhesives & Sealants:
¾ There are also water-based
versions that can p provide better
heat resistance.
¾ Generally solvent-based, these cost
effective,
ff ti gap-filling
filli adhesives
dh i are
suitable for bonding sheet flooring,
adhering skirtings and architraves,
signs and wall panels.
¾ They have good adhesion to most
substrates (especially porous
materials such as wood, concrete,
brick and plasterboard).
¾ Sealants- create a flexible, durable
bond which is vibration- and shock-
resistant.
resistant